1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to knee pads, and more particularly to a knee pad constructed from two planar members.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Knee pads are well known throughout the "protection" world in a variety of configurations. They can have soft shells, hard shells, be made of foam, leather or plastic. The primary function of the knee pad is to provide relief to the bony structure of the knee when in the kneeling position. Like other joints of the body, the knee is void of fatty deposits that would aid in cushioning or protecting this area. When kneeling the majority of a person's body weight is transferred directly to the knee and the comfort level is greatly reduced when kneeling on hard, bumpy or abrasive surfaces. In essence, the knee pad is a "kneeling pad" with the added convenience of a form of attachment to the knee area. Instead of carrying the kneeling pad around with you, the pad travels with you and you don't have to be concerned when changing your position that the pad won't be in the proper position to protect your knee. Many sophisticated knee pads have been developed and they are often quite expensive. One manner of making a lower cost knee pad is to have a foam pad sewn into a fabric pocket. However, sewing is labor intensive and in the end, is expensive and would be prohibitive in producing a value-priced product. Since the majority of the cost of a knee pad was built into the sewn portion of the product, it would be advantageous to eliminate the sewn portion and allocate the majority of the cost on the padding material itself. Assembly time would also be reduced by the elimination of the sewn portions.
Another problem associated with the prior art is the method of attachment of the knee pad to the knee area. Hook and loop closures have both advantages and disadvantages. They enable easy on/off attachment but tend to collect particles and soon loose their ability to fasten. This may pose a problem if the knee pad is used in an environment which is inherently dirty. The knee pad needs easy on and off access when it is used with any regularity, so there needs to be a fastener developed that will address these issues.
Another problem with knee pads is cleanability. Over long periods of time, knee pads may become dirty, which may cause problems when they need to be used on a variety of surfaces, from the garden to laying tile on the floor, or when they become dirty and need to be laundered. It would be ideal to simply rinse off the knee pad and go back to work or simply hang them up until they are needed next.
The present invention addresses the problems associated with the prior art knee pads and provides for a knee pad that is simply to manufacture, eliminating much of the sewing/assembly time as possible, and still protecting the vulnerable regions of the knee. The knee pad is easy to clean, and has an easy on/easy off fastening mechanism.